Painting Your Colors
by MiNKy307
Summary: The stoic Tezuka Kunimitsu and Ryuzaki Sakuno meet again in High School. Though they never really acknowledged each other when they were younger, four years gap makes the biggest difference. TEZUKA X SAKUNO. My first fanfic
1. Chapter 1

_Painting Your Colors_

_Pair_: Tezuka X Sakuno

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Prince of Tennis

_Author's Note:_This is my first fic, so please enjoy…and _helpful_ criticism is welcome…not severe bashing….Thank You

"..." speaking/conversation

'...' thoughts

**Chapter 1**

The autumn sunset that illuminated the canvas warm-yellow and orange lighted passion within the 16 years old girl, Ryuzaki Sakuno. It was around 4:30 in the afternoon. The solemn room, the slight chilly atmosphere, and the invigorating energy that was emitting from every brushstroke accentuated each raw moment. She was drowned in the smell of oil paint and the momentum of creating a beautiful piece of art starting from a mere hollow, blank canvas and a naked bristle. She absolutely loved this feeling; this stomach squelching that was churning from the bottom of her guts. She knew that this was her infatuation that she was arduously searching for. Since the time she picked up her first brush and coated it with a stunning color to paint two years ago, she knew that this was her outlet.

Two years ago, at the age of 14, she was devastated by the leaving of her two years crush, Echizen Ryoma. Though he never acknowledger her, she fell in love with the aura he let off and desperately wished she would only become a fraction like him. And when he left, his energy that she bathed in vanished and it left her desolated, empty and utterly lonely. She went through a process of trial and error to replace the vigor she loved, but horribly failed with each try. At the verge of giving up, she remembered her grandmother once mentioning that her mother, who passed away when she was nine, was a beautiful and talented painter. So, as her last hope, she picked up a cheap brush and paper from a stationary and poured out her heart. And from then, she just had a complete affinity with the hobby. She quit tennis and slowly, but painfully let Ryoma go.

And two years later, she was still painting. She won many competitions and approbations. She matured and became quite intelligible. She gained her own identity during the last two years. And at this moment, she was in this art room that was coveted with late autumn air, getting lost in time and space. She just continued with her strokes until she loomed over a world that wasn't reality. She savored each minute and she couldn't and didn't stop. She didn't even notice that the bright luminescence that soaked the room was now covered by opaque clouds and clear raindrops had started to gently hit the window.

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"Practice is over" announced a captivating, but a powerful, baritone voice.

"Hai!" screamed a unison of various male vocals.

Tezuka Kunimitsu, 18 years of age, is the captain of the tennis team of the Seishun Gakuen High School and the owner of the "captivating, but powerful, baritone voice." He also abhorrs the rain. Not only does it make him feel wet and uncomfortable but it impedes the training in tennis, just like today. He knew it was going to rain; Inui had said at the beginning of practice, but Tezuka, being the oh so strict and discipline Tezuka, wanted to fit as much training as possible. He was planning to practice despite the rain, but it was raining cats and dogs. He reluctantly ended practice to avoid further consequences.

So, with his simple statement, everyone ran to the locker room while Tezuka went to leave a note at the coach's desk to report the early dismissal. When he came back, he was welcomed back with a quiet locker room. It seemed that nobody was left; probably they quickly dispersed to their homes to evade further drenching. The silence was actually very convenient because though he has gotten used to cacophonous conversations and incessant screams throughout the years, he felt like he couldn't tolerate it today. Maybe it was the rain or the more than usual love letters he received, but he became aware of an imminent migraine.

Tezuka could hear thumping in his temples slowly getting louder by the second, so he took a quick, warm shower, opened his gray umbrella that was always kept handy in his locker, and deliberately walked toward home. He was hoping there wouldn't be any delay because the mix of downpour and the autumn wind was chilling him to the bones, but upon reaching the front gate of the school, he cursed under his breath when he noticed a light in the school building. He could've ignored it, but his precise character addition to him being the student council didn't allow him to overlook such thing. So he took quick but poised steps toward the light.

'Nobody should be here now, It is already near 7:00' Tezuka thought.

He wasn't aware of any teacher meetings or other extracurricular activities. Besides the tennis club, all others were cancelled due to news of the weather forecast from the announcement. With a slight annoyance etched in-between his eyebrows, he carried his long legs to the origin of the light: the Art Room. He was correct. He assumed that this was where the light was coming from since he knew the school blueprint by heart. He opened the door expecting to find an ordinary student catching up for a procrastinated project and was planning to admonish him or her for being in school in such a late hour. But when he actually opened the door, he couldn't utter a sound. For a brief moment, his migraine disappeared, his pupils dilated very slightly, and though he never was aware of it, his heart fell, making a perpetual thump in his soul.

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**Author's Note**: I hope you enjoyed it . I love any Sakuno pairing..but I don't know why, I really favor TezukaX Sakuno...Though they are complete opposite, they just fill each other's gap -


	2. Chapter 2

**Painting Your Colors**

_Pairing_: Tezuka X Sakuno

_Disclaimer_: Once again, I don't own Prince of Tennis

_Author's Note_: I give my utmost gratitude to those who reviewed. I am so glad that you guys are enjoying it….I have to say, that I might not be that fast at updating because I'm one of those people who are over-thinkers!!!! Especially this week I don't think I can update because of finals and everything. Anyways, here is the second chapter.

"…" speaking/conversation

'…' thoughts

**Chapter Two**

It's and indeed a mysterious phenomenon of what human senses can indicate. Despite the fact that Sakuno's complete concentration was riveted on her painting, a small signal at the back of her head sent an innuendo to turn back. She was hoping she could ignore this pesky subconscious, but when it became too much of a hindrance to her attentiveness, she finally yielded and looked back to only find herself for a surprise. A man was behind her, standing there, his arms folded, and seemingly glaring at her direction; but he was no ordinary man, but _the_ Tezuka Kunimitsu.

'How long was he standing there? Why is he here? I don't remember him taking any art classes' Sakuno briefly thought as she started to get a slight panic attack.

It wasn't everyday she met the captain that everyone admired from afar face to face. Actually, she hadn't talked to him since he graduated middle school. And though only vaguely, she recalls their last conversation as being something on the line of congratulating his graduation attached with a short grunt as a reply. And when Sakuno had finally entered high school, to forget Ryoma, she had discontinued coming close to anything that was relevant to tennis added to the fact that her best friend had stopped attending all the games of Seigaku as well. Thus for the last three years, though she had noticed him once in awhile, it was as if the two were never in the same vicinity; each strolling their own separate path that never seemed to converge. So it was no surprise that the still timorous Sakuno was astonished to meet Tezuka in such a situation.

She was waiting for him to initiate something since she had now acknowledged his presence, but when nothing was said, she attempted to compose herself and barely audibly, she called out his name.

"anou (1)…Tezuka..Senpai?"

"..." there was no reply.

"..Tezuka Senpai?" She said again.

"…" again, an awkward silence embraced her

Sakuno became extremely uncomfortable at this point. It was either he couldn't hear her or he was- to anybody's surprise - in a daze. She completely doubted the latter, so she took very timid steps toward the stoic man.

She would have gladly spoken a little louder rather than taking a step closer to get his attention and finally assuage they umbrage of this heavy atmosphere, but she couldn't. It was as if an outside force was blocking her mouth. Everything about this moment seemed sacred, almost transcendent; and if she broke this fragile ambiance that lingered in this room, she felt as if a grave consequence would be bestowed upon her.

So she hesitantly took one step closer and desperately tried to elicit a response from her senpai. And she continued this pattern until she was literally two feet away from him. At this point, she was franticly hoping for a hiatus on this awkward action she was taking because she didn't want to get any closer. If she took one more step, not only would she be close enough to observe every infinitesimal detail of this beautiful man's face, but she would probably feel the wrath of Tezuka for invading his personal space. As a last resort, she called out his name once again, but only this time, it was almost close to a scream.

"Tezuka Senpai!!"

And in that second, the balance that Tezuka always carried with him broke.

"…Ryuzaki?"

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"...Ryuzaki?"

Tezuka was bemused when he finally awoke from his daze. Not only was a girl, who was definitely more than five meters away a second ago, now standing too close for his liking, but that girl was Ryuzaki Sakuno, his middle school coach's granddaughter. And though his motto was always "never let your guards down", for the first time in a while, somebody actually had managed to catch him off guard.

"hehe"

_Now,_ Tezuka was fully awake when he heard the girl chuckle. His eyebrows slightly twitched, but he didn't speak a word. He just intently stared at her until she impeded her ridiculous giggling.

"..anou…gomen nasai (2)"

"Ah." was his curt reply

The soft cheeks of the girl tinted crimson when she finally realized her action. Well, it was only almost natural for her to giggle, since she _was_ the one to find _the_ Tezuka in a dumbfounded state. But, when she felt his stare boar through her skin, she winced and bemoaned at what she just did. Silence, once again, swept over the room, and this time nobody seemed to want to say anything. Tezuka completely regretted stopping by in this art room instead of going straight home. He detested unnecessary situations, much like this one.

"umm, senpai? Anou..What are you doing here?" the girl spoke, finally breaking this inconvenient stillness.

"It is 7:00, Ryuzaki" he again tersely and patiently responded.

Sakuno gasped and quickly turned her face to the closed window. Her hazel orbs reflected complete surprise when she was in face with a dark sky.

"Oh my gosh! Obaa-san will be so mad!...anou Tezuka Senpai! Arigato (3) demo I need to go. Gomen nasai! Arigato!"

The frantic girl, distorting her face, bowed almost 90 degrees, collected her belongings and sprinted toward the door, letting her two long braids fly behind her. Before anything, she was out of this room, leaving the wet canvas as the only evidence that she was actually here.

Again, Tezuka's eyebrows twitched just hardly, but didn't speak a word. He, too, began to walk, but, rather than taking the same footsteps as the girl and leave the art room, he instead approached the painting she had been working on.

Actually, he was quite curious of what she was drawing. When he first opened the door to the art room, though he would never admit it, he was fascinated and enchanted at the scene that was before his eyes: It was a girl, standing before her canvas, painting. Though it wasn't anything bizarre, something about it, actually everything about it was…beautiful. He rarely used this word, but he didn't know any other way to describe it. It wasn't the girl's beauty that was mesmerizing but everything else that was coalescing with it. The swift and graceful movements of her brush were as if she was dancing across the water. Her contemplation and strive to create her own artwork illuminated, becoming the light source that starkly contrasted with the aphotic sky. And beyond everything, her passion that was conveyed was so refreshing; he hadn't felt such zeal from anybody for a long time. All this was coalescing into a compromising piece, and somewhat ironically, it was as if he was seeing a painting. And when she called out his name, it wasn't that he didn't hear it. But the voice that was rolling out of her mouth was so soothing, almost as captivating, and thus, making him fall more into a daze until her abrupt loud calling finally awakened him.

When he came in face with the actual painting on the gessoed canvas, he wasn't disappointed at what he found. Though he wasn't much knowledgeable in the art field, the image that she depicted seemed to epitomize what he observed few minutes before; the devotion, the fervor, the harmony, topped off with proficiency. He unknowingly engraved the unfinished picture into his memory. He then walked away, shut off the light of the room and went out the door, closing it behind him.

When Tezuka reached the exit of the school, for the third time, he raised his eyebrows. The girl, Ryuzaki, didn't leave, but instead was standing right outside the door, below the jutted roof. He opened the glass gate and a gust of icy wind hit his face.

"Ryuzaki." Tezuka acknowledged her, demanding a response of why she was still here.

"Oh! Tezuka Senpai!" the girl squealed. This time, she was the one caught by surprise.

"…"

"anou…it's raining, and I don't have an umbrella. Umm, I think I'm going to wait until it calms down a bit," she answered. She knew,already that Tezuka's silence was accounted for one of his most frequently used responses to any question.

Tezuka tore his stare from the girl and realized it was still raining, much harder than before. It was almost a downpour. He turned his stare at the girl again. She was shivering; her lips tinted a hue of blue, looking more fragile than she already was. He checked his wristwatch; 7.26 p.m. It was getting late. He let a sigh escape under his breath and spoke.

"Come Ryuzaki. I'll take you home."

The hazel eyes widened significantly, and after, she vehemently shook her head.

"ie (4) Senpai! I can't afford such trouble."

"It's getting late. I'll take you home."

"demo (5)…. I…"

"Ryuzaki." He cut her off. He quickly opened his grey umbrella and lightly seized Sakuno's wrist, pulling her under the umbrella.

The girl yelped.

"Let's go" and Tezuka began to take strides toward the front entrance once again, but making sure that Sakuno was following. He found himself relieved when she was strutting alongside him, her face fastened onto the cement floor.

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Sakuno couldn't lift up her head. Her face was dyed red when she felt her senpai holding her wrist. Though his hands hastily disappeared, the warmth still lingered on her skin, permeating slowly past the epidermis, flowing in the bloodstream that would soon reach her heart.

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anou: umm

gomen nasai: I'm sorry

Arigato: Thank You

Ie: no/It's okay

Demo: but

**Author's Note:** Well that's it for the second chapter!! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Sorry if this isn't that good. I am hoping you guys still remember that this is my first fanfic ever!!!! Anyways, I will try to update soon, and if you have any suggestion, please leave a message. I'm glad to listen and improvise on my writing skills. Also, the story might be going a little slow for the first few chapters because I'm setting it up. Probably there will be more of a plot after the third. Please be patient until then. Thank You


	3. Chapter 3

**Painting Your Colors**

_Pairing_: Tezuka X Sakuno

_Disclaimer_: Once again, I don't own Prince of Tennis

"…" speaking/conversation

'…' thoughts

_Author's Note:_Sorry for the long wait. It was extremely hectic after vacation. Plus, this past week, I had four wisdom teeth taken out and was bed-ridden. It was excruciating!!! Well, here is the third chapter. Enjoy

**Chapter Three**

The rain that started out malevolent became somewhat benign into a drizzle. But the darkened clouds were still weighing down into a concave void, corroding all the colors into almost a cool monochromatic tone. And corresponding to the night sky deprived of animate stars, the street was abandoned and desolate. Everything was at rest; even the winds and the few cars that occupied the road were speaking in whispers.

Among this empty path, two pairs of feet, one a lot smaller than the other, were walking in a cadence under a single grey umbrella. The larger pair was ahead of the other by couple of steps since its strides were longer. There was nothing spoken between the two owners of these shoes, but the silence wasn't awkward. Rather, it was quite pleasant as each person admired the aesthetic view in their own, individual perspective.

Suddenly, the smaller pair of feet halted on the track, and soon the other mimicked the action.

"anou, Tezuka Senpai, I think we're here" Sakuno voiced out, smiling shyly.

"hn," said Tezuka as he observed the humble house in front of him.

"anou, Senpai, would you like to..umm.. come in for some tea?" she asked politely as she fidgeted with her lean fingers. She was quite nervous; her voice carried out with unique vibrations.

Tezuka faintly arched one of his eyebrows at this offer. When Sakuno saw this, she hurriedly tried to explain herself, making sure that he wasn't misunderstanding what she was saying. Tezuka _did_ get flocks of confessions each day, so it was only natural for him to take her suggestion the wrong way.

"I mean…my obaa-san's inside and she would probably want to see you. She always asks about you and the rest of the senpais. And, umm you should warm yourself up before going back again, I mean...since I made you go through the extra trouble and umm…"

"hn," Tezuka grunted with a small nod as a sign of consent.

Sakuno sighed with relief. She was starting to ramble like an idiot and she couldn't think of any other reasons invite him inside. She didn't know why but she wanted her senpai to stay for a little bit. She averted her attention to the murky sky. The clouds were accumulating and getting more saturated. It was highly probable that the drenching rain would go for another round. She would feel horrible if he caught a cold because of her. She'll try convincing her grandmother to drive him home.

"Hontou ni?" Sakuno asked just to make sure. His answers were ambiguous and she always had a hard time to decipher his clear cut answer.

"Ah." Again, Tezuka gave a laconic answer to confirm.

"Hai!" She beamed a sincere smile at Tezuka and led him to the house. She rang the doorbell because, like almost always, she forgot her keys. Instantly, the door burst opened. It was obvious that her grandmother was hanging around the front entrance, frantically waiting for her arrival. Albeit Sakuno came late constantly since she entered high school due the same reason as today, her grandmother always became concerned when her granddaughter wasn't home by seven.

"Sakun..Tezuka!! What are you doing here?!" Ryuzaki Sumire heaved out in a gasp.

Sakuno giggled at her grandmother's reaction. She knew it was the right choice to invite Tezuka Senpai; it brought light to the old woman's eyes. Though her diehard obaa-san would never say, Sakuno knew that the woman missed the old Seigaku's days. It wasn't that the teams now under her care were disrespectful or mischievous, but they didn't seem to have the same invigorating energy or the talent as the former members. It always brought a tint of bliss in her grandmother's voice when she was talking about them.

"Ryuzaki Sensei," Tezuka nodded politely, letting his former coach acknowledge him.

"Hai, Hai! Not talkative as ever, eh Tezuka? Anyways, what are you doing here? My little Sakuno isn't in trouble, is she? Hahaha." The exuberant woman winked and gave a hearty laugh.

"Obaa-san!" Sakuno said with a whine marring her voice. She tugged at her grandmother's sleeve to hint her to stop teasing her.

"hahaha! Okay okay! Wait! You two are not…dating, are you?"

"Obaa-san!!!!" Sakuno's face instantly flushed red. She absolutely abhorred when her grandmother taunted her and she was doing it now in front of her senpai. She shot a quick glance to the taller man and her face stained a deeper shade of red at the apathetic aura that surrounded the stoic buchou. She was now humiliated at the thought that she was just overreacting- that she couldn't take a mere silly joke.

"Just kidding, just kidding. But Sakuno, why is Tezuka with you?"

At this, Sakuno's face molded into a smile as she began to explicate what had happened. After Ryuzaki Sumire intently listened to the story, she gave a small nod of approval and turned to Tezuka, who had his arms crossed and was listening to the small girl talk as well.

"Ah, ne Tezuka. Arigato for taking care of my clumsy granddaughter. She is always like this, just like her mother. Why don't you come in? It was so hectic that I forgot to invite you inside the house. It is getting chilly, ne? Have some tea and I'll drive you home. Come in, Come in"

Ryuzaki made a welcoming gesture, exhorting her previous student to enter. He gave a quick jerk of his head as an agreement. He slipped off his shoes with much grace and he quietly entered the warm indoors.

"Sakuno, why don't you prepare some tea while I get you two some towel. And Tezuka, call your parents to inform them that you are safe. They must be worried."

Sakuno rushed into the kitchen and opened the wooden cabinet dedicated to teas. She was daunted by the numbers of selection. She didn't know which one would suit her senpai the best. By his looks, he would probably drink anything with the same amount of gratitude, but he was human. He must have his likes and dislikes. After a moment of pondering, she deliberately chose jasmine tea. It was light and fragrant. It almost tasted neutral, but it gave enough of a taste for anyone to savor. Her mother always used to drink it on rainy days, just like today. Sakuno's auburn eyes began to soften as she recalled her times with her mom.

A thunder roared in the heavens and awoke Sakuno from her daze. She hurried to get the tea ready. Her grandmother would tease her with some ridiculous things if she came out late.

When she entered the living room, the two matured people were engaged in a serious conversation. Sakuno didn't want to interpose in their discussion so she gingerly placed the tea set on the table and began pouring the slightly yellow tinted liquid into three separate ceramic cups. The two people thanked her with a curt nod and continued on with their talk. Their conversation seemed to be about tennis. Not wanting to be included, she delicately sat herself next to Tezuka Senpai (since it was the only seat available) and began to sip her jasmine tea.

As she consumed the aromatic liquid alongside listening to the raindrops gently hitting the window, her eyelid became heavy. Slowly and surreptitiously, the thin layer of skins began to drop, covering her tired eyes while she let her mind meander outside of this room. And right before she was completely devoured by her dream world, the last picture that occupied her mind was someone with unruly brown hair, piercing eyes under sleek glasses and warm hands.

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Tezuka stopped in the middle of talking when he felt a small impact on his left shoulder accompanied by a warm, soft wind that tickled his ear. He turned his head to find Sakuno soundly asleep with her head delicately leaning on his broad shoulder. A surge of lilac fragrant wafted into his nose. He almost flinched at the close propinquity of their faces, but abruptly stopped when her smile came into his visage. Sakuno seemed as if she was thinking of something pleasant; her closed eyes slightly bent into an arch and half wrinkles formed at the bridge of her nose.

"Haha. Gomen ne Tezuka, Seems that granddaughter of mine has used you for a pillow," Ryuzaki Sumire said as her eyes focused on her watch. It was indicating 9:30 p.m.

"Oh! It's getting late. You should get going."

"Ah, Sensei" He agreed but didn't carry out his action of getting ready to leave. The petite girl was impeding him from doing anything. Sumire, seeing his struggle, briskly walked over to the sleeping girl and shook her shoulders.

"Sakuno, Wake up!"

"…" She didn't budge.

"Sakuno!"

"nn…" Sakuno squirmed at the loud volume but didn't get off Tezuka's shoulder. Instead, she wrapped her slender arms around Tezuka's muscular ones and attached herself to the bemused man even more.

"Ha. Gomen, but it seems she will not wake up. She really is nothing but a ball of trouble. Tezuka, can you carry her to her room? I would do it myself, but I'm too old. I might break my back!"

Tezuka was slightly taken aback with such favor. It wasn't in his policy to carry girls and put them to bed, but he guessed he would have to make and exception tonight. Ryuzaki Sakuno _was _Ryuzaki Sumire's granddaughter. It would be disrespectful to reject the favor.

He placed one of his arms under her small head to support it and the other under her knee joint; he was carrying her bridal style. It was the only way. It would be quite disturbing to haul her over his shoulder, though she would be small enough to carry in such manner. When he lifted her up, he was surprised at how lightweight she was. Compared to the pile of neon tennis balls he dragged everyday, she was petty.

Tezuka followed his former coach into the girl's room. When he entered, he was embraced by a smell of lilac. It was the same one that aroused his nose when she was on his shoulder. The room wasn't overly pink or ideally adorned, but was simple and comfortable. He gingerly leaned down to place her on the full size bed. She stirred, and dug deeper into his chest, trying to locate the comfortable heat that was taken away by the movement. He stopped for a second and when she relaxed, he hastily but carefully laid her on the bed while her grandmother pulled the blanket over her.

He turned around to leave, but a picture placed in a baroque frame caught his eyes. It was small and quite aged. It was a picture of a couple hugging a young girl. They seemed blissful and they epitomized the ideal happy family. It was a picture that wouldn't be found in his household. Like him, other than his sweet mother, his family members rarely smiled.

"It's Sakuno and her parents." Sumire explained from the back.

"Sakuno just turned nine at the time. They were in Sydney. It was the trip right before her parents' death." She shook her head sympathetically and walked out the door.

Tezuka pupils dilated. He didn't know that Sakuno's parents passed away, though a few times before, he questioned in his mind why Sakuno was living with her grandmother. He gazed at the sleeping girl. She was peaceful and surrounded by purity. He would have never guessed that she hid such a harsh background behind this serene façade. Tezuka suddenly felt something churn in his guts, though not in a revolting way. But, before it could grow any further, he turned around, shut the lights off, walked out the lilac smelling room, and closed the door behind him.

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_Author's Note_: Hey people!! How was it..I know it is a lot longer than the first two, but hopefully it wasn't sickening. Like, I said, this is my first fan fic, and it's actually a lot harder to write a fanfic than I thought. I tried to use more dialogues, but I'm not sure how that went. I think I failed T-T..and for those people who are asking for some SPICE, it will come out next chapter. Sorry for the wait, but like I warned, the story goes kinda slowly...really slowly. So you have to give me a break here. I'm really detail-oriented. Thanks for the advices people. I'll try to keep that in mind when I'm writing. I know I still kinda suck, but NO BASHING! Hope you guys are waiting for the fourth one. I'll try to upload soon.

A Favor: Guys, it's pretty obvious that I like Tezuka X Sakuno pairing. But I hardly see any of them. So if you guys have the time, write some PLEASE. Thanks .


	4. Chapter 4

**Painting Your Colors**

_Pairing_: Tezuka X Sakuno

_Disclaimer_: Once again, I don't own Prince of Tennis

"…" speaking/conversation

'…' thoughts

**oOo **time pass

---- Perspective change

_**Author's Note:**_ Well, here is the fourth chapter. Enjoy d.Just a note..but I won't be updating very soon because I'm going on to Philadelphia for the next few days. Hope you guys understand. I'll try to update the fifth one ASAP.

**Chapter Four**

The luminescent of day was peaking up behind the sea's horizon line of the eastern hemisphere, shedding its early crimson colors into the clouds. And the sun's rays were sneaking through the diaphanous curtains of the Ryuzaki's residence, setting life to a new day for Sakuno. Albeit it was still very early in the morning, the household was already bustling and hectic.

"Sakuno! Are you ready?!" came a deep feminine voice in the distance.

"Ah! Almost Obaa-san!"

"You better hurry up or you're going to be late for school!"

"hai hai!!!" Sakuno replied with panic marring her voice.

Sakuno glanced at the clock: 7:44 a.m. It gave her exactly 16 minutes. She ran out of her bedroom with a beige backpack messily slung over her frail shoulders while simultaneously, she adeptly braided her auburn hair, which stretched a little below her waistline. Her grandmother greeted her at the front door, handing out her toast for breakfast and money for lunch.

"Arigato Obaa-san! Don't forget to eat your vitamins!! Iteki masu (1)!" Sakuno called out as she rushed out the door. Ryuzaki Sumire chuckled and shook her head as she saw her granddaughter's back getting further away. She closed the door and went to the kitchen to take her vitamins that she detested.

**oOo**

Despite the fact that Sakuno ran here with all the energy that she could muster, she still arrived to school late. So when she stood before the front entrance, she had to deal with the wrath of the notorious Hattori Sensei. As Sakuno heard the old teacher lecture her, she bowed her head and shut her eyes tightly. She really didn't have the heart to hear such harsh words spat at her early in the day. She heard the bell ring which meant that homeroom was over and first period was starting. She had art, her favorite subject, first period. Her day was already going down the drain.

"Hattori Sensei."

Sakuno almost spontaneously shot her head up when she heard a familiar baritone voice. She turned her head to register the face, but instantly sunk her head even lower, nuzzling her chin into her chest when she came in full contact with the piercing gaze of Tezuka. She felt heat rise up in humiliation. She really didn't want him or anyone to see her being scolded like this.

"Ah Tezuka" Hattori Sensei said with a welcoming gesture to the student council president. It was obvious that the teacher favored him.

"Sensei. May I talk to Ryuzaki for a moment?"

"Umm…okay. Just wait," he said as he focused his attention to Sakuno again. "Ryuzaki, you got lucky. Just be glad that I didn't go hard on you because you're rarely late. But be sure that you aren't tardy…Hey! Come back here!" Hattori Sensei let her go and continued his castigations to the other students that was in the same situation as Sakuno was just in.

Sakuno was relieved but confused. There shouldn't be a reason for Tezuka Senpai to call for her individually. She questioningly looked up at him to find an answer but only saw his back getting further away. She hastily moved her feet to catch up to him. He then suddenly stopped and turned to face her, which caught Sakuno by surprise and made her bump into him. Instantly, a fierce cooling water smell carried itself into Sakuno's nose. It was a very charismatic smell, imprinting placid but strong images and colors into her mind. She almost fell into a daze, but caught herself. She managed to become composed and finally called out his name.

"Tezuka Senpai?" she questioned with a barely audible voice.

"Ah"

"anou..what did you need to tell me?"

Tezuka gazed down at her and suddenly began to fish through his uniform pant's pocket. Sakuno studied his action with confusion. He finally seemed to have found what he was looking for because he took his hands out and stretched it towards her. Sakuno's head fell to the side in question. She was caught off guard and didn't know how to respond to his action.

"umm. Tezkua Senpai. What is it?"

He then opened his hand and allowing her to see the object. It was a plain black hair tie. She didn't know what he wanted her to do with it.

"It's yours." Tezuka tersely explained. He didn't bother to say anything further. He just forced the hair tie into her petite hands and walked off.

A crease folded in-between her eyebrows. She was about to call him to ask how he had it but she heard the second bell ring. She immediately changed her mind and sprinted to her class.

**oOo**

When Sakuno arrived, her art teacher, Nanase Sensei, just seemed to have finished an announcement. Everyone gave her a quick glance, but didn't say anything.

"Gomen Nasai (2), Nanase Sensei for being late" Sakuno bowed apologetically.

"Sakuno. Glad that you can join. Class, now go and make art. Sakuno, can you come to my desk after you get set up? I need to discuss with you about something."

Sakuno agreed and she went to her desk to put her stuff down. When she sat down, she was greeted by a rather sharp effeminate voice.

"Sakuno!!! Why were you late??!"

It was Tomoka. Sakuno smiled and briefly explained what happened without adding the detail with Tezuka Senpai. She didn't want her friend to make more of a ruckus.

"Really??? Then I guess you didn't make a bento for lunch today! Darn it!! I was looking forward to it!"

Sakuno chuckled at this comment. Tomo-chan was always spurting out random things.

"I promise I'll bring one tomorrow, Tomo-chan. I need to go to talk to Nanase Sensei. I'll talk to you later."

"Yipeee! Hai. Ja ne!"

Sakuno waved at her friend and walked up the teacher's desk, which was situated at the corner. Her sensei seemed to be in a deep thought. Sakuno hesitantly called out to get her attention.

"Sensei"

"Oh! Sakuno. Please sit down." Nanase Sensei gave a frank smile and pulled up a chair next to her desk. Sakuno willingly sat. Nanase Sensei was Sakuno's favorite teacher. She was renowned for being the most affable and passionate teacher in the school. She always treated her student well and always tried to understand them first before judging them.

"Sakuno. I just got an e-mail notifying me about a Juried Art Exhibition. They are allowing me to pick one student and I would like for you to be the one. I know you don't like entering into competitions, but your talent is far too outstanding and proficient to just waste as a hobby."

Sakuno shifted in her seat. She always felt uncomfortable with these kinds of topic. She hated entering into competitions for unknown reasons. She just didn't want art to become a factor of stress especially when Sakuno actually used art for outlet. She didn't want to be pressured plus she didn't want to seem boastful. Sakuno occasionally received acerbic comments from the older groups saying that she was a show-off. It was true that Sakuno did enter few competitions and won several awards, but it was only because of her teacher's strong exhortations. Sakuno always yielded when her teacher approached sedulously, hoping that Nanase Sensei would let her free next time. It never happened.

"Demo (3) Sensei. I don't know Sensei. I'm busy and…"

"Sakuno. This is not just a regular competition. It is neither regional nor national. It's _international_. And if you win, it's guaranteed that you will get flocks of scholarship and scouts. I know that you feel uncomfortable but I want you to enter for a reason. I have seen so many students with magnificent style, but none that expressed such depth in the canvas as you do. Just dwell on it for a bit. There is an entrance fee, but I'll try to convince the principle to compensate. I don't have much detail but I'll update you on after I research. I heard, though, that this year's exhibition is going to be held at Sydney, Australia. The school will be sponsoring you with the ticket fee and you don't need to worry about missing school days. It's during summer vacation."

Sakuno's eyes widened with surprise for a second. Sydney…A memory flashed into her head that made her wince. It was a memory that consistently haunted and tortured her throughout her sleep.

"Sakuno? Are you okay? You just turned pale." Nanase Sensei asked with concern. She reached out to feel Sakuno's head to check for a fever.

"Hai Sensei. Gomen. I'm fine. Just a minor headache." Sakuno gave a candid smile and assured her. At this, Nanase Sensei removed her hand and sighed with relief.

"Oka.."

"Ding!" The bell for second period cut her off.

"Oh my! Already second period! Too short, too short! Anyways, just think about it, Sakuno and inform me right away when you make up your mind. Oh yeah! The theme is colors. Very broad but difficult. If you plan to enter, then think about your composition to depict the theme. Anyways, hurry up before you're late to second period also."

"Hai Sensei. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Sakuno gave a polite bow, packed her stuff and stepped out to the corridors of the school. Her eyes reflected sudden determination. She already knew her answer. _She was going to enter_. Sydney… It was the place where her parents and she went for summer vacation almost 8 years ago. It is the last happy memory she has of them before they passed away by a car accident on the way home from the airport. It was the place she had wanted to visit for the past 8 years. This was her chance. She would start searching for her idea starting from now.

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"20 Laps around the court for warm-up now!" Tezuka barked. It was after-school meaning tennis was just starting. Despite the ruthless rain yesterday, the weather today was perfect for sports. It wasn't cruelly hot or intensely cold. The temperature was moderately cool and the sky was devoid of clouds. He folded his arms as he watched his teammates growl under their breath but still were running the 20 laps he commanded.

"Sakuno!!! What are you doing? You're not going home?"

Tezuka heard a familiar voice in the distance. The voice was rather aggravating and annoying and he would've ignored it without a second thought, but for some reason, it captured his attention.

"Ah! Iie (4) Tomo-chan! I have to do something right now"

Tezuka recognized this voice also. It belonged to Ryuzaki Sakuno, the girl who caused much of an inconvenience last night and this morning. His eyebrows came closer together when the memory of last night, after he arrived home, replayed in his head.

_Flashback_

Tezuka was changing out of his slightly wet uniform when something fell onto the wooden floor. He examined it and discovered it to be girl's hair tie. He was a tad confused as to where and how he had this under his possession until a familiar lavender scent traveled up his nose.

'It belongs to Ryuzaki Sensei's granddaughter'

It must have fallen out into his uniform blazer while he was carrying her. Tezuka felt quite annoyed at this point and was about to throw it away when the girl's face flashed in his head for about a millisecond. He was taken aback at this. He stared at the plain hair tie again and changed his mind. He didn't know what held him back, but he decided to give it to her the next time he saw her.

_End of Flashback_

"Sakuno! You're so busy, never having time for me!!! We haven't hung out for the longest time ever" The girl named Tomo-chan was wailing. It aggravated Tezuka's eardrums a bit.

"Gomen Gomen. I promise we'll hang out tomorrow. It's something really important that I need to do."

"pshh! Fine! But you need to promise"

"Promise"

"Okay, Sakuno. See you tomorrow in school!"

"Ja ne Tomo-chan."

The girl with the agitating voice seemed to have gone home. He averted his attention to the girl with the long pigtails, but making sure that nobody was noticing that he was. She stood at the front gate of the school, probably looking out for her friend. Suddenly, she turned around and ran off somewhere. It seemed as if she was in a hurry.

"Buchou!"

People were finishing their laps. Tezuka immediately tore his gaze off of the girl that was diminishing in size as she was getting further away. He couldn't understand why he had paid such specific attention to her. He usually didn't associate with unnecessary things. But he didn't dwell on the thought too long as the rest of the people lined up in front of him.

**oOo**

The sun was now burning itself up furiously behind the horizon line, as it was biding its goodbye. The world around Tezuka Kunimitsu was streaked in intense hues of dark red overpowered by the falling of the sapphire night. Again, Tezuka was the last person to leave the courts. Practice ended a while ago, but he needed to discuss with the coach about few matters concerning the team and finish up on few student council works, so he sent away his friends who said they would wait.

Tezuka took long strides as he walked toward the back entrance of the school. It was a shorter route to his house if he used the back door rather than the front. He gave the building one last look for any lights and was satisfied when he didn't find any. He hated this part of being the student council president. He was content enough for holding such prestigious place in school but it ensued with obligations he had to execute such as making sure everything was in correct order. He was just about to exit the door when he heard a bustling in the school garden. He hesitated for a second but continued to make his way home. He wanted to overlook it for a rabbit but couldn't when he heard a whine. He definitely couldn't ignore it. With annoyance, he quickened his pace to find the origin of the sound. This was the second day in a row that something impeded him from going straight home and rest after an arduous day. He hated obligations.

Tezuka saw a feminine figure on the garden bench with her head facing the sky. She was sighing as if she was desperate and a small whine escaped her lips. He assumed that she was frustrated but wasn't sure because it was too dark to make out her facial feature. He approached closer and when he finally did recognize the owner of the body, he arched his eyebrow in complete annoyance. It was Ryuzaki Sakuno…_again._

"Ryuzaki?" He called out without hesitation this time. But she didn't reply. Her eyes didn't detach from the darkening sky. 'Is this some kind of trick?' he thought.

"Ryuzaki." His voice was more stern and constrained. It was also a notch louder to get her attention that was now fixated to something outside of reality.

"…Tezuka Senpai?"

Again, the same voice and the same reaction he heard yesterday.

"Ryuzaki. School is closing. You should get going."

"Ah hai! Gomen Senpai for causing you trouble again. Honto ni Gomen Nasai!"

The girl hastily got up from the wooden bench and bowed her head several times, allowing her braids to fly all over the place. Tezuka didn't answer to this but just waited until she finished collected her belongings and walked forward.

When she got near Tezuka, he turned back to continue his way home. But he stopped once again when he didn't hear footsteps following his own trail. He faced Ryuzaki Sakuno who, for some odd reason, halted. He pierced into her eyes and found it to be glistening with something…fascination?...discovery?

"Why ar…"

"Tezuka Senpai! Will you be my model?"

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_**Author's Note**_: Hope you liked the fourth one. Some people were complaining that last chapter had no purpose so I tried to add a chapter that was..I guess..more progressive? But I don't really know how that went T-T...Thanks for the review people. I appreciate it! It really is encouraging...I really hope you guys like how the story is going because to tell you the truth, I'm making the story up along the ways, so I don't even really know how it's going. Hope it wasn't too long!!! And I promise that there will be more of an interaction between Tezuka and Sakuno in the next chapter..If you guys hate the chapter..please tell me in a nice way because then, I will try to fix it if I have the time.

(1) _Iteki masu_-Don't really know how to explain it. Something said when leaving your own house

(2) _Gomen Nasai/ Gomen_-Sorry

(3) _Demo_-But

(4) _Iie_-No/It's okay


	5. Chapter 5

**Painting Your Colors**

_Pairing_: Tezuka X Sakuno

_Disclaimer_: Once again, I don't own Prince of Tennis

"…" speaking/conversation

'…' thoughts

**oOo **time pass

---- Perspective change

**Chapter Five**

"Sakuno-chan. Sakuno-chan" A passive male voice mingled with concern was calling out to a girl with long pigtails dangling onto her side. She seemed oblivious to his voice for despite the fact that he had been repeatedly trying to get her attention, she didn't respond to any of them. But the boy observed the spellbound state of the girl with fascination rather than annoyance. With a silent smile lingering, he finally placed his slender hands on her shoulders and shook it.

"Wha!...Fuji Senpai?"

"Are you alright? You seemed to be in a daze… Are you sick? If you want, I'll ask Nanase Sensei to switch the order around for us."

The boy who seemed to be a little older than Sakuno was the well-known Fuji Syusuke. He relocated his hands onto the girl's forehead as a candid gesture to express his worry for his kouhai. All the while, his smile was growing bigger with a very vague hint of mischievousness.

"You don't seem to have a fever. Hmm…"

"Ah…gomen nasai, Senpai. I didn't mean to. I, um, just, um, something caught my attention. Hontou gomen nasai! It won't happen again."

"Iie. I'm fine. Everybody goes off track from time to time. But that something must be quite extravagant to hold your attention so deeply that you couldn't hear me calling. Perhaps it was a guy? "

At his unexpected comment, her cheeks became pink. Fuji's smile broadened further at her reaction.

"Oh! Was I correct? He must be very handsome," Fuji said with his smile and closed eyes ever still present. He was enjoying this. He needed to only know one more thing in order to prove himself right.

"…Senpai…" Sakuno wriggled in discomfort.

"Just teasing." He gave a small pat on her head, and with that, Sakuno relaxed and her lips curved into a sweet smile.

"Anyways, is it alright for you to show me what you have drawn so far? I'm sure that it will look exactly like me, but I'm just a little curious."

Sakuno's face instantly contorted at Fuji's favor. She looked down at her sketchbook and her expression scrunched further. She definitely couldn't show her senpai this. It would not only be disrespectful but also humiliating. It wasn't that the drawing was absolutely horrendous neither was it because it was too early to show it off--actually the sketch had quite depth with composition, movements and defining colors--but she couldn't show her picture because it wasn't one of Fuji Senpai. The subject of the drawing was of a bespectacled teen with unruly hair engaged in a conversation with a teacher. It was Tezuka.

Sakuno gave a sigh at her actions. Since the day she asked him to be a model, like a pathetic stalker, she had surreptitiously drawn sketches of her senpai; sometimes she did it without actually noticing what she was doing, just like now. She didn't understand why she just couldn't yield. He had already refused to be her model.

_Flashback_

"Tezuka Senpai, Will you be my model?"

Sakuno immediately grasped her mouth with her two hands when the realization hit her. The proposal that she just unintentionally blurted out wasn't only audacious but it was far beyond ridiculous. She was distraught at the fact that she actually asked such a question. And when she looked up at her senpai, she became even more miserable.

Sakuno was at par with the level of shock as the elder teen. When he approached her to tell her that she needed to go home, the same fragrance of the open waters that she smelled earlier traveled up her nose once more. It wasn't anything that reeked like the repulsive sea odor, but quite the contrary. The smell was clear and crisp as if impersonating a starry night amidst a vast body of water with colors that followed the overpowering darkness. Wild Colors, like the Aurora Borealis of the Alaskan night sky, but with intense hues, not soft pastels. So before her brain could digest the thought, it seemed that the words just escaped automatically. Probably it was the because she has been searching all day for something worthy as a subject for the exhibition but found absolutely nothing that satisfied her until Tezuka Senpai came.

After organizing her thoughts and reasons, Sakuno decided to go through the immensely embarrassing moment once more. She didn't think she would be able to find anything that had such fierce character as the person that stood in front of her and she needed him to revisit Sydney. She straightened up and slowly made eye contact with the now stoic teen.

"Anou, gomen ne, Senpai. I know this might sound crazy and everything, but…I'm wondering if you can…umm…." Sakuno shut her eyes tight and took one deep breath."…become my model?" She had it out. She didn't open her eyes and didn't plan to until she would hear a response. Unfortunately, only a pregnant silence ensued.

"…"

"…"

"Ryuzaki. Let's go home. I'll walk you to your bus stop."

Sakuno's heart fell. Her senpai ignored her completely. This was even more mortifying than getting any type of rejection.

"Senpai…" Her soft voice was demanding an answer from him.

"Ryuzaki…" He was thinking. "I don't have time for such thing."

"Anou…"

Before she could finish her sentence, he turned his back on her and began to stride his way toward the back gate. He really didn't seem to care for her offer and probably, he wasn't going to change his mind any time soon. Heaving a grave sigh, she tailed the bespectacled teen out of school.

_End of Flashback. _

"Sakuno-chan. So, can you show me?" It was Fuji that was speaking. A cold sweat dripped down her back. How could she show a portrait _of_ Fuji Senpai _to_ the actual Fuji Senpai when it didn't even exist? She needed an excuse…fast. And suddenly, it clicked.

"Umm…Senpai…I need to go to the bathroom," she squeaked and sprinted to the girl's room, not forgetting to tumble a little along the way. She would draw a very quick sketch of Fuji Senpai in the bathroom. She could sear an image into her brain and recollect it on paper. It was one of her unique talent that came in handy at moments like now. And she was thanking God for it. But, one thing that she didn't realize was that she her hands were completely empty. The sketchbook was fluttering in the wind on the table that Fuji was occupying. And Fuji was just smiling that pleasant smile as he watched Sakuno disappear at the corner.

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When the sight of the young Sakuno disappeared, Fuji gracefully held the sketchbook in his hand and without an ounce of guilt, he swiftly turned the pages. His eyes opened a tad bit showing enthralled cerulean eyes. His blood was boiling in excitement. Though he had to admit that the works of each and every page were magnificent, it was only about the last ten pages that put him in such utter contentment. The sketches were of one subject and the subject was Tezuka.

'Great.'

About a week and a half ago, Fuji was waiting for Tezuka to finish up the works so that they could walk home together. He didn't inform the captain beforehand to make it kind of a small surprise. While waiting, he went to the bathroom to wash his hands, but when he came back, the room Tezuka was in was locked and empty.

'He must have left.'

So with a calm smile, he made his way to catch up to his tennis captain. When he got near the back door, Fuji stopped in his tracks when he heard voices. He figured out that the two people were Tezuka and Sakuno. The situation was predictable: Tezuka was telling Sakuno to go home. He was on the verge of interrupting when suddenly, an interesting thing happened.

"Tezuka Senpai, will you be my model?"

Now _this_ was something. It wasn't everyday that the timid young Ryuzaki asked the very well respected Tezuka to be her model. Inui would probably say that the possibility was near 0 percent.

After intently witnessing the whole scenario of Tezuka declining Sakuno's offer, he turned around with a satisfying smile as his head already began to concoct a plan. He couldn't let this amusing situation just slip through his finger. That would be no fun and Fuji was all about being in the "fun." It defined him. He had to make the all so well-behaved buchou of his comply with such a seductive offer. But Fuji had to let it settle for a while. He would just wait and watch, and pounce on it when the time was ready.

A little less than two weeks later, Nanase Sensei announced a short term project that involved students finding a model and the artist were to express the characteristics of the others through art. Because the school combined the advanced photography and the drawing class together, Fuji was able to immediately snatch Sakuno as his partner. This way, he would be able to observe everything up close and personal. And maybe he could manipulate the circumstance into something more interesting.

**oOo**

Fuji heard footsteps coming his way. Swiftly he ripped out a page from his object of attention and then placed the sketchbook to the original spot, making sure it was in the exact same position as she left it: Closed, angled left with a ¾ of a pen jutting out from the page she was recently working on.

"Fuji Senpai."

"Sakuno."

"Anou…Fuji Senpai…umm..I don't think I can show…"

"Ah. Sakuno. Gomen ne, but I think I've got to go. Tennis practice is starting soon and of course I can't be late. Gomen ne." Fuji cut Sakuno's comment off.

The petite girl's shoulder seemed to relax; she was relieved. Fuji chuckled inwardly at her reaction. She was too cute.

"Iie, Senpai. We'll continue next time. The project isn't due 'til Monday so we still have the weekend to finish."

"Yes. The weekend. I'll call you later and we'll set up our schedule. Maybe next time, you'll be able to show me your drawing. Ja ne, Sakuno-chan."

With this said, Fuji strolled over to the tennis court and smiled like he always did. But, if observed closely, his smile was more genuine. Probably the folded piece of paper with quickly ripped edges that he was fidgeting with deep inside his pocket was the reason behind everything.

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"Oishi!!! Where is Fujiko-chan! If he doesn't come soon, Tezuka is going to make him run laps, nya?" It was quite obvious that Kikumaru Eiji was the one speaking. He was the same even after four years passed. With a small pout, he dangled on to Oishi's neck.

Oishi's face was altering colors. He was starting to gag. "Kak…Eiji….I can't…kag…Let g"

"Oishi!!! Where is Fujiko-chan?" Apparently, Eiji didn't know or simply didn't care.

"I…don't…gag…know. Eiji…Let…"

"Eiji, Let go of Oishi now! Everybody gather!" A booming baritone voice intruded.

"Tezuka!" Eiji leaped off of the tortured Oishi and stood in front of his buchou along with everyone else. But Oishi was still in the corner, wheezing and trying to catch his breath. Though Eiji's personality stayed consistent, his physical strength was a lot stronger.

"Where is Fuji?" Tezuka demanded. He didn't tolerate tardiness.

"Eh….Tezuka, Fujiko-chan is…umm…in the bathr…"

"According to my data, Fuji should be with Ryuzaki Sakuno, Ryuzaki Sensei's granddaughter." This time, Inui interposed into the conversation.

At the mention of Sakuno, Tezuka's eyes dilated a slight bit. Though he didn't want to admit it, Tezuka noticed that he became a little tense at anything referring to that girl. Probably it was because of that night about a week ago. Though he could've just passed it as a ridiculous thing, he just couldn't erase it from his head. And her coming and lingering around at tennis practice everyday made everything worse. He tried to ignore her, but it was easier said than done. Every time she looked up, it seemed that her gaze was always fixed on him. Tezuka pretended that he didn't notice, but this was getting out of hands.

"Nya? Nani? Isn't Sakuno-chan the one who used to be Ochibi's girlfriend? Why is Fujiko chan with her?"

"I think Fuji is her model."

At Inui's comment, Tezuka visually twitched. He couldn't get rid of the twinge of an unknown emotion washed over which sent him to confusion. It felt weird, as if someone clutched his heart for a mere second and let go. Ryuzaki found a new model. It was Fuji... That was the reason why she was always hanging around the tennis courts after school.

"What!!?? Fuji's a model? For what?"

"An art project. The two are in the same advanced art and photography class, period four."

"Ha!! Fuji-senpai a model? I bet it's nude?"

"Momoshiro! Don't say such embarrassing thing!" Oishi blocked Momo's mouth while his own cheeks adopted a red hue at the word nude. Everybody seemed to, but at the same time, they became curious.

"hmmm…" Inui pondered seriously and began flipping through his notebook. Suddenly, his glasses glistened in the sun and he put up an awkward smile, the smile that he has when he is about to feed one of the awful juices to anyone.

"It is less than 1percent that Ryuzaki will draw Fuji nude, unless it's required. I believe that nudity is not mandatory for this project."

Everybody began to relax while some gave disappointing remarks.

"….But, there is about 83 percent chance that Fuji will attempt to take pictures of Ryuzaki cloth-less."

Everybody, even including Tezuka, flinched and few seriously blushed red because what Inui said was probably true.

"What are you guys discussing about?"

"Whaa!!"

Everybody had a ghastly face on when Fuji suddenly popped into the conversation, as if caught when committing a naughty act.

"Fuji Senpai. Don't just appear out of nowhere!!!" Momoshiro had his hands over his beating heart and yelled at Fuji. Everyone, excluding few, nodded their heads in agreement.

"Gomen. Didn't mean to scare you guys."

"Fuji!! Are you really Sakuno-chan's model, nya?"

"Ah? You heard? Yes. I am Sakuno-chan's model" Fuji answered Eiji's question gracefully.

"Inui told us! You're soooo lucky. Was it fun?? If I was a model, I could do all type of poses, nya?" Eiji seemed overly interested. He stuck his head out toward the just arrived teen and bombarded him with questions.

"Hmmm…interesting actually. Sakuno seemed captivated by this one thing." Fuji flashed an innocent smile, leaving other's to be quite puzzled at his remark.

"What do you mean captivated? Huh?? By what?" Eiji, once again didn't seem to want to stop with his interrogation. But nobody seemed annoyed at this but instead was listening intently. Though, Tezuka at the corner had a deep disapproval face on.

"It's a secret." Like always, Fuji left the matter hanging.

"Wha!? That's not fair. Tezuka! Make Fuji say!"

"Everybody 30 laps around the court. Fuji run 20 more for being late," Tezuka barked. He was getting a headache.

"Hai." Fuji easily assented to taller teen's command and jogged out of the locker room to join the rest of the team. Tezuka perceived that the Fuji was in an unusually happy mood. He was definitely up to something.

Tezuka quickly got Fuji out of his mind. He didn't have the leisure the over-think things. Since couple of days ago, his mind has been completely packed and hectic with something that that he couldn't grasp yet. And it was only giving him a headache. Right now, all he needed to do was get out and run with alongside his teammates. So that was what he was going to do. He was about to step outside when a piece of paper on the floor came into his view. It was in his nature to ignore it, but just incase it was an important document, he decided to pick it up and place it on one of the benches.

When he bent down to collect it, he stopped short of his actions. He noticed that the folded piece of paper had a drawing on it and the subject looked way too familiar. And though his head was screaming to stop, he lifted it up and unfolded it. He stared at what he saw. The person on the paper was him. It was him playing tennis, and what further surprised him was that the style of the drawing was recognizable.

'Ryuzaki…'

The little sketch that he was looking at right now gave the same impression as the painting he saw that night.

'How?' was his first question

'Why?' was his second question.

'Isn't Fuji her model?' was his third.

Suddenly, he got up from his crouched down position, folded the paper, put it on the bench and walked outside. It didn't matter. He didn't know why he was overreacting. The drawing was nothing, and he didn't know if it was really drawn by Ryuzaki. It could be one of his many horrendous fan girls and even if it was drawn by Ryuzaki, it didn't make the circumstance any different. He would just leave it and forget about it.

**oOo**

It was Sunday afternoon and Tezuka was planning to rest since he could spare some free time. He found a comfortable seat at his couch with a book in hand. He wanted to read quietly, since nobody was home, and just get himself away from the week.

'Ring Ring. Ring Ring.'

Tezuka puckered his eyebrows at the interruption. He reluctantly got up and answered the ringing phone.

"Moshi Moshi."

"Ah. Tezu…_cough cough..._ Tezuka." A raspy and sickly voice came from the other line.

"…Fuji?"

"Aa. _cough cough_. Tezuka, are you home alone now?" Tezuka frowned at Fuji's state. He inferred that Fuji had gotten a cold.

"Hn."

"Tezuka, _cough cough..._ Gomen demo…cough can you do me a favor?"

Tezuka, this time, lifted up his eyebrows. He had a bad feeling about this. It wasn't common for Fuji to ask a favor, especially to him. But he seemed sick so it was proper for him to comply.

"…Hn."

"Can you _cough_…go to… _cough cough_…Ryuzaki's residence."

"For what?"

"_cough..._ As you can see….I'm quite ill. I need to go the Ryu.._cough cough_…Ryuzaki's residence, but I'm bedridden and Yumiko one-san won't let me go. So…_cough cough_ Instead of me, I'm asking you to be _cough..._ Sakuno-chan's model."

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_Author's note: _HeyThanks to those you reviews. You're awesome. Sorry for the major delay. I just came back from South Carolina plus I was in a writer's block. I barely got through this chapter..so if this chapter sucks than I'm sorry. I can't think...and every single time I get an idea, I can't find a satisfying way to express it on paper. I was even actually thinking of discontinuing the story...And if you find any mistakes, grammatical or spelling, I apologize. I'm becoming lazy and I didn't actually reread the story after I typed it up. So, hopefully, you understand. . If you guys have any suggestion or any ideas that can give me guide to where this story is going to go or anything that will add spice...then don't hesitate to say.

Read and Review.


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